cucumber

cucumber
cucumber (n.) late 14c., from O.Fr. cocombre (13c., Mod.Fr. concombre), from L. cucumerem (nom. cucumis), perhaps from a pre-Italic Mediterranean language. The Latin word also is the source of It. cocomero, Sp. cohombro, Port. cogombro. Replaced O.E. eorþæppla (pl.), lit. "earth-apples." Cowcumber was common form 17c.-18c., and that pronunciation lingered into 19c. Planted as a garden vegetable by 1609 by Jamestown colonists. Phrase cool as a cucumber (c.1732) embodies ancient folk knowledge confirmed by science in 1970: inside of a field cucumber on a warm day is 20 degrees cooler than the air temperature.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Cucumber — Cu cum*ber (k? k?m b?r, formerly kou k?m b?r), n. [OE. cucumer, cocumber, cucumber, fr. L. cucmis, gen.cucumeris; cf. OF. cocombre,F. concombre.] (Bot.) A creeping plant, and its fruit, of several species of the genus {Cucumis}, esp. {Cucumis… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cucumber — [kyo͞o′kum΄bər; ] occas [., kyo͞okəmbər] n. [ME cucomer < OFr or L; OFr cocombre < L cucumis (gen. cucumeris)] 1. a trailing annual vine (Cucumis sativus) of the gourd family, grown for its edible fruit 2. the long fruit, with a green rind… …   English World dictionary

  • cucumber — ► NOUN ▪ the long, green skinned fruit of a climbing plant, which has watery flesh and is eaten raw in salads. ORIGIN Latin cucumis …   English terms dictionary

  • Cucumber — This article is about the fruit. For other uses, see Cucumber (disambiguation). Cucumber Cucumbers grow on vines Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • CUCUMBER — Three species of cucumber are mentioned in the Bible and in rabbinic literature: kishu im, pakku ot, and the yerokat (or yerikat) ha ḥamor. (1) Kishu im: only the plural form occurs in the Bible, but the singular, kishut, occurs in rabbinic… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • cucumber — n. 1) to peel; slice a cucumber 2) (misc.) as cool as a cucumber * * * [ kjuːkʌmbə] slice a cucumber (misc.) as cool asa cucumber to peel …   Combinatory dictionary

  • cucumber — [[t]kju͟ːkʌmbə(r)[/t]] cucumbers 1) N VAR A cucumber is a long thin vegetable with a hard green skin and wet transparent flesh. It is eaten raw in salads. 2) PHRASE (emphasis) If you say that someone is as cool as a cucumber, you are emphasizing… …   English dictionary

  • cucumber — UK [ˈkjuːˌkʌmbə(r)] / US [ˈkjuˌkʌmbər] noun [countable/uncountable] Word forms cucumber : singular cucumber plural cucumbers a long thin vegetable that has a dark green skin and is white inside. It is usually eaten raw in salads. • as cool as a… …   English dictionary

  • Cucumber — Gurke Gurke (Cucumis sativus) Systematik Klasse: Dreifurchenpollen Zweikeimblättrige (Rosopsida) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • cucumber — /kyooh kum beuhr/, n. 1. a creeping plant, Cucumis sativus, of the gourd family, occurring in many cultivated forms. 2. the edible, fleshy fruit of this plant, of a cylindrical shape with rounded ends and having a green, warty skin. 3. any of… …   Universalium

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